Clint Eastwood’s Empty Chair Routine Reverberates Because It was So Effective

Sep 4, 2012

RUSH: The Clint Eastwood bit at the Republican National Convention is still being talked about, which is testimony alone to its effectiveness. You know what everybody who is analyzing this — and I must include myself in the first ten minutes of his routine — forgot? He’s an actor. He’s an actor.

Everything that happened in Eastwood’s gig was intended to happen. He wasn’t nervous. He wasn’t bumbling. It didn’t take him a while to get going. It was exactly what it was intended to be. And you know what it really was? Among many other things, he was telling people who have a sentimental attachment to the historical nature of The One’s presidency, i.e., he’s the first black president, some people are going to vote for Obama just for that reason alone, just like they voted for him originally for that reason alone. Eastwood was giving them permission. It’s okay, when somebody’s not doing a job, we let them go. He was telling those people it’s okay. It’s no big deal. It’s like everybody else, if they’re screwing up, it’s time to let them go. And he may not be the guy that you think he is. He may not be this nice guy if you look at some of the ads running out there. And the empty chair day yesterday —

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Snerdley, why does it get under their skin? Because Obama has never been ridiculed in his life. He’s never been made fun of. You just don’t do it. And now he’s being laughed at. It’s a whole new world for Obama. He’s not been laughed at. He’s not been mocked. He’s not been ridiculed. That’s what he does. That’s what the Alinsky-ites do. It doesn’t happen to them. And, of course, the empty chair also means empty suit. And I think the reason it’s getting under their skin, another reason is that it has an element of truth in it, which is what made it effective. It was masterfully done. It was extremely, extremely well done.

Let me put it to you this way: If Eastwood had come out — and I think everybody was expecting him to come out and do a traditional convention political speech — and if he had done that, which is what people were expecting, it would have just gotten lost in the panoply of speeches. Just some Hollywood guy. But this one, everybody thinks they’re so scripted and they’re so predictable, this was totally off the wall. And purposely. It was masterfully done, and of course Eastwood is masterful at what he does. He’s a director, producer, and actor. He memorizes lines for a living. And I just think it was really, really well done. Even some of the early analysts on our side, the button-down coat and tie crowd wringing their hands worried, “Oh no.” Even they have come along.